What Do I Do Now? Take II
by wordsaremyescape
Summary: [REVAMP&New Summary] She left without a word to anyone. All he holds is a quickly scribbled letter that's supposedly supposed to be answer enough. When Martin shows up unannounced, late into the night, Ruthie opens a little bit more than the kitchen door. {Marthie}
1. Birthday Blues & Bad News

**A/N: Okay! I figured after so long, this thing needed a bit of a facelift. For those who read the original version, this one is going to have a hell of a lot more detail (and way better grammar) than the first one did. Hopefully you like the extensions I plan to make in here.**

**Thanks to: **fmjl11 for not only betaing but soundboarding too.

**Disclaimer: I still don't own it. Never have, never will. Otherwise, Marthie would be more than the words in this story...**

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Ruthie Camden sat slumped on her bed with tears pricking her eyes. He hadn't even called to wish her a happy birthday. Disheartened for only a moment, she was once again reminded of the reality that touched them all. Sadness was quick to turn to anger. She could live fifty years and never understand why she'd been kept in the dark so long. The claim was, it was all for the sake of her heart, her protection. That had to be the lowest of lows she'd ever been dealt. She wasn't exactly thrilled about his silence but Ruthie knew she had little if any say in the matter. Calling her would be the farthest thing from his mind. Martin had a new set of priorities that didn't always include her. _But at least he always tried to talk to me_ she thought as the tears silently began to make their way down her cheeks. She wasn't even sure why she was crying anymore. She decided it was a tangled web of just about everything to do with him. The secrets, the lying, and the avoiding. Like being around her or seen with her was some kind of taboo.

Ruthie closed her eyes and shook her head. Martin himself would never...The mother of his child? Probably. It wasn't even that she hated Sandy. The girl wasn't even a real threat when you got down to the root of it all. She just seemed to have a little bit of everything. Who knows what that even meant. But Sandy had enough for pizza and sex. The girl could taste bile crawling up her throat. She couldn't even think the word without wanting to tear something up. She sighed thinking herself even more ridiculous. She had no claim, no place. That ship, if it even left the harbor at all, had sailed far into the Pacific. There was no calling it back now. Not with the way things played out for them. He had his life, his family and she had...Well, she had T-bone. They had both made their choices and whether she agreed with them or not... Whether she liked them or not, there was no other way to do it than to live with it.

In the silence of her room she heard the phone ringing. Quickly looking at the caller ID, she ignored it. _Oh, so now he decides to call?_ Ruthie could feel frustration rising once more, the topic she entrained in her head not helping at all. With a huff she answered but then quickly hung up. _He deserves it_ she thought angrily. She looked at the clock noticing it was already almost midnight. After showering quickly she snuggled into the welcoming warmth of her bed.

Suddenly, a knock at the door startled her from sleep. Groggily, she rolled over in bed taking in the digits on her alarm clock._What the heck? __Who_ would be knocking at the door in the middle of the night? Noticing the knocker hadn't given up she quickly stumbled out of bed. Turning on the light, she made her way down to the kitchen. She opened the door to see Martin holding a whimpering Aaron in his arms. Her plans to yell at him instantly went out the window. Something in Ruthie froze then. She wasn't even sure if it was seeing him there at all or the time of night. Perhaps it was something else entirely. Either way, words she was hoping to say seemed impossible. Rubbing sleep from her eyes, Ruthie sighed, a slight yawn escaping her.

"Martin?" she asked slightly confused. "What in the world was going on? It's... Well, not that it matters but...Shouldn't you two be...It's late. Unless someone's sick or dying you usually..."

"Ruthie, I need your help," he said in a rush trying his hardest to comfort the fussing infant. Quietly, she took Aaron from his father, shuffling further back into the kitchen.

"He's gonna be sick," she yawned. "You too, if you just stand there like that. You practically live here. Or...lived. Whichever. Get in here, you're turning blue."

"Doesn't freeze in Glen Oak," he mumbled. The brunette only served him an all too familiar glare as a slight smirk tugged at his lips.

"Too late to hurt you," she muttered.

"And, you know, sleeping baby in your arms," he pointed out. Ruthie just smiled running her fingers gently through Aaron's hair.

"What's going on?" she asked, carefully using her free hand to pull out a tray of cookies and bringing them to the table.

"For me?" Martin teased.

"They've been sitting in there since dinner or something. We forgot about them. Might wanna watch your teeth," she warned.

"Listen, I know it's late but I had nowhere else to go," he said apologetically. Ruthie was quick to shake her head. At this hour, they all knew where he would be. Sleeping at least or trying to. She bit her lip slowly, not quite sure how to phrase such a question, even if it was one that knocked on the side of her brain for days now, likely months. As long as the two had been some kind of item, Sandy herself never really made much of an appearance at the house. Her visits had become even less since Aaron was born.

"Where's Sandy?" she asked.

"I don't know," he shrugged. "She just left me this," he said handing her a piece of paper. Ruthie quietly looked it over, her fingers making creases in the paper as she read.

_Martin,_

_I'm sorry to do this but I have to get away for a while. Before you say anything, it was nothing you did. I just need to get my life in order. I don't know how long I'll be gone for. It could be a couple of weeks, months, I don't know. All I know is that I need to do this. I left Aaron with you because I knew it would be wrong of me to keep you away from your son. I know you'll take good care of him for me while I'm gone._

_Sandy_

"What?!" Ruthie muttered, letting the paper fall at her feet. As if no call from Martin had been enough, Sandy had to pull this crap on him...On them. She allowed her tense muscles to turn soft as the little boy nuzzled her quietly. "When was this?" she asked taking a seat at the kitchen table.

"I don't know. I woke up to hear him screaming. It was her turn or something. Sometimes it's all her so I just figured...I was expecting Sandy to get him but he just kept crying. Then, after a while I noticed we were alone and found this in his crib. Took him an hour to stop. It'll hit him again when he starts wanting her, looking for her...I don't even know what any of that means. 'Get my life in order'. Isn't this her life? Aaron...Her job...I just...It doesn't even make sense. She wanted him. Or at least, learned to want him. And suddenly she doesn't?" Martin let his head fall in his hands, a heavy, tired sigh falling from his lips. She couldn't help a slight leap of joy when he seemed to leave himself out of the equation for Sandy's happiness. Not that it meant anything. All the same, Ruthie was fuming. How could she do this? Just simply leave without a word to anyone? Well, she had left him a letter but that was different. They were words on a piece of paper. The older girl's lack of compassion and sense made Ruthie shake her head. "What am I gonna do Ruthie?" Martin asked. He looked so lost. She almost laughed at how he'd shaped the question. Like somehow she knew exactly how they were going to figure any of this out. The truth was, she was just as lost and utterly confused as he was. Ruthie simply rose from her seat and gathered him in her arms as his head rested on her shoulder, the younger Brewer already fast asleep.

"We'll get through this together, Martin, I promise," she whispered hoping more than anything that she could keep to such a tall order considering the situation they were dealt. A quiet whimper pulled her from her thoughts, Martin's head coming up to meet his son's expression. She mumbled. "Shh," she murmured to Aaron. "You're good." It took him no more than two minutes to fall silent again, Ruthie's choice in nightgown in his mouth. "This is... better, I think," she whispered. "If you can stay quiet in the morning, Grandma's in for a great surprise," she smiled. The baby watched in fascination as her lips moved pulling at them curiously. "That there's my lip," she smiled playfully biting at his fingers. The sound of his laugh practically shattered the silence they'd fallen into. "Shhh, not so loud! I have to teach you how to be good at the surprise thing. That's not it. You gotta be nice and quiet," she whispered. "Like this," she added letting her voice fall quieter. Aaron stared for a moment and grinned taking a clump of Ruthie's hair in his fist and pulling at it. "Oh no, not the hair," she said shaking her head and taking his hand away gently. Letting out a small whimper his arms went around her neck as he snuggled into her before finding sleep again. Kissing the top of his head, Ruthie ran her hand along his back. Martin just looked on in amazement. Watching them never seemed to get old. At the same time, there was nothing new about it, yet he couldn't find it in him to let his eyes wander.

"Do you think we could crash here tonight?" Martin asked. There was no way he'd be going back over. Not when familiarity would only serve to eventually upset him, though more Aaron than anything. It was late and he looked more than a little comfortable anyway.

"Sure, you guys can take your old room upstairs. I'm sure Mom and Dad won't mind," she whispered. He nodded his thanks, not entirely sure what the appropriate words would be in a case like this. Ruthie of all people had no grounds to be gracious, yet that was all any of them knew. The Camden law was one of the many things that kept him so closely tied to the family, even after making one of his own. They had virtually no qualms about his lack of sense. None that they didn't quickly let go of anyway. Even so, he couldn't help but wonder why.

"Thanks Ruthie, I owe you one," Martin said giving her a careful hug. She just nodded making her way upstairs with him in toe. "Oh Ruthie?" Bed seemed even more inviting now with the weight of a tiny person against the body.

"Yeah Martin?" she called back, head still facing forward.

"Happy birthday," he whispered only inches from her ear, her hair suddenly pulled back behind it, making the quick breeze all the more noticeable. Ruthie felt that familiar electricity shooting through her body. Not in a million years did she expect something like that and from Martin of all people. She suppressed the desperate need to kiss him right then and there. She would likely regret it at first sun, or worse, flat out rejection.

Instead she barely managed a breath and replied. "Thanks," before continuing her trip upstairs. Reaching Martin's room she carefully laid Aaron down surrounding him with pillows. She noticed his face scrunch up and gently caressed it with the back of her hand. "Night Aaron," she whispered before turning around and leaving. "Goodnight Martin," she added, making her way out. She had to process this alone before she could so much as look at him.

"Goodnight Ruthie," he whispered.

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**A/N: Alright. How goes round two? Let me know? **

**Also note: Since this is a revamp of something I've already worked through a lot of, chapters will come much faster. I'm more inspired to write than I have been in a while so hang in there with me!**


	2. Nightmares & Nearness

**A/N: Here's chapter two!**

**Disclaimer: Still don't own anything except the plot and any new characters that may come to mind later on**

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After Ruthie had gone to bed, Martin just lay there staring at the ceiling. As he had done on more than one occasion, he couldn't help but assess every angle of the way the night unfolded. Where could things have gone so wrong? Looking at it honestly, the mess with Sandy never really had a defining starting point. Their entire relationship was forced on them, both having a mutual interest in the child they made. Though he couldn't exactly pinpoint what their relationship really was, Martin never imagined her leaving them like she did. Even more startling was the ease she seemed to show in parting with her son.

Martin himself played with the situation more than he liked to admit. He wasn't completely unaware. The two had learned to tolerate one another and nothing more. The ball could drop at any moment and as wrong as it felt to do so, he found himself preparing for their little game of house to fall apart. Traditionally, it was always the father left childless with no explanation when enough was enough. Tonight, the roles seemed reversed and strangely tweaked. Not that Martin could argue with the outcome. He would tear through every mile of anywhere to be a part of Aaron's life, whether Sandy liked it or not. As shown by the clear, concise wording in the note she seemed to throw together, Sandy liked it almost too well. Life was in no way perfect for them but they always made it work. He and Sandy even started getting along some. They weren't exactly friends but they weren't enemies either.

Time taught him to come to grips with what he had. He no longer blamed her for making him a father. Martin had been given the greatest gift any man could ask for. It wasn't a plan by any means but looking back now he wouldn't change a thing. At this age, he had no real plan but teen parenthood was certainly not part of it.

There was no picking it apart anymore. She was gone and the two of them were here, hauled up in his old home while he tried to figure out what in the world his next move was going to be. He was in no mood to corner the woman and her motives but her lack of reason left him with a touch of curiosity. He could never find it in himself to abandon his son. Yet Sandy had done so willingly. She found it so easy to disappear from her child's life. Martin rolled his eyes and sighed, his hand resting on Aaron's small chest, watching as it rose and fell with easy rhythm. "You've got no idea," he whispered. Watching his peaceful expression, he was even more determined to make sure that his mother's selfishness didn't taint his son. This little boy was his life now, his sole responsibility.

He was expected to be a single parent at the age of eighteen. He wasn't supposed to be a parent, period. Not this early in the game. But facts were facts. Proof lay right beside him; completely oblivious to the curveball they'd been thrown. _What do I do now? _he asked himself. It was a daily challenge with just the two of them. There was no way he could go in search of his own father for advice. Aaron was his job, his to make decisions for. After what seemed like a lifetime, Martin finally fell asleep hearing the calm, even breaths of his baby sleeping next to him.

* * *

_Martin found himself in an empty room watching himself attempt to quiet his inconsolable son Despite the dream dimension, he still couldn't make sense of how he was able to do so as his arms stayed cuffed and tied to a concrete wall, his legs shackled to the ground beneath him. As limitless as his own head was in a state like this, his attempts to step forward and quiet Aaron for his trapped self were virtually useless as he stood frozen, forced to watch from a distance. He bit through his lip and quietly shook his head, hoping more than anything that this part of what he felt would be a pending nightmare would jump to something less horrific. There was nothing promising about hostage situations. Nothing at all._

"_I'm sorry buddy," he mumbled holding the child closer to him while trying his hardest to calm him down. Try as he might, there was nothing that could cease his discomfort in the slightest. "I'll get us out of this, Aaron, I promise," he said more for his own benefit than anything else_

""_Time's up," he heard a voice boom from the other side of the room. Martin's confused expression shot over the mysterious man. __**Time?**__ he thought. __**Time for...?**_

"_No please, please don't do this!" he begged, trying in vain to keep dry eyes. "I'll do anything!" he said desperately. He could feel his stomach clench as he watched himself make such a promise. He pierced his tongue to keep from countering the call. There was no way he could be heard here anyway. If he couldn't move there was even less chance that he would be able to speak, no matter how much he wanted to, how much he felt he needed to. All he could do was watch and...hope, slim as hope was._

"_Anything?" the man asked, a defined smirk crossing his face. Martin felt his throat go dry at the look in the stranger's eyes. Closing his own tightly, he begged to be teleported somewhere else, anywhere else._

"_Yes, anything." The heat of held breath was blown against his cooled hand._

"_Bring her in, Jake!" the older man hollered. A big, tall, burly man walked through the door with Ruthie in handcuffs, a gun pointed at her head. Martin could feel his heart begin to hammer, his already twisted stomach turning sharper._

"_No, you can't!" he cried, his plea coming out in tandem with his shackled form. As he suspected, his words meant nothing, silenced in the realm of possibility. His attempt to move came up empty once more as he watched the scene unfold before him. _

"_Yes we can and we will."_

_**Oh God...**_

"_I won't let you!" _

_**I'll do a lot more than 'not let you'**__ he thought bitterly._

"_We don't have to, but we will if you refuse to cooperate." Martin could see Ruthie trembling under the man's touch, silent tears pooling in her eyes. She groaned as the grip on her was tightened even more. It hurt him to end to watch her suffer._

"_M-m-martin please…" she cried._

"_It's very simple. All you have to do is give us the child. If you do then we'll let her survive," the first man said calmly. Ultimatum. Sickeningly typical. _

"_NO!" Martin's palms grew cold and clammy as he saw the captor draw and cock his gun. The first warning shot suddenly sounded in the quiet room, making him jolt. The baby's cries continued to grow louder as screaming was heard from where Ruthie stood. "How do I know you won't hurt him?" Martin asked_

_**Not the best question to ask...**__ he thought, cringing as Aaron's face grew purple, his small lips pale with frantic pleas that no one seemed to hear. Though he struggled to step forward, enough force finally freed his stone-like stance at which point he shot directly for his son. The little boy clung to him for dear life though the volume to his anguish stayed very much the same. Martin swallowed hard once more as he took in the harsh rings of red around his wrists, his shackled identical seeming almost too focused on what played out in front of him to notice any possible burning sensations against his skin._

"_We only want what's best for the child." __**And leaving him here like this is best?**__ The man didn't sound convincing at all. But how did he know if he was or wasn't telling him the truth? Martin knew better than to choose one or the other in situations like this. As much as he wanted to knock sense into himself and make a run for it, as a spectator he could do nothing but watch it go from bad to worse. Nothing he thought or wanted would be heard in here. If he didn't do something he could lose both of them with just a mindless shot. The look on the face of a helpless father sent Aaron floating away from him and toward the two who held them here. As much as he pleaded with himself to call out for some kind of help, to deny them innocent lives, only one whisper fell from his lips. "I love you," he breathed._

_Martin had to close his eyes that much tighter to keep from watching anything else, but his own senses did him in, forcing him to become all too aware of what went on around him._

"_That's a smart move. Jacob, release the girl!" the man ordered. Removing the gun from her temple the second man threw Ruthie toward Martin. Quickly catching her balance she ran at top speed toward him._

"_Oh thank God!" she cried running into his waiting arms._

"_How sweet. Now second order of business…" The three of them seemed to turn immediately watching as Aaron stayed silent, almost as though he was compelled to do so._

"_The matches you wanted, sir."_

_**Shit.**_

"_Yes thank you." The man lit it holding it inches from Aaron's delicate skin._

"_NO!" they all cried in unison. Ruthie instantly ran toward them. Before she could make it back over to pry him from them, she heard the gun release another bullet. This one headed directly between her eyes. She expertly ducked to avoid the shot but couldn't do the same for the numerous shots that followed. Letting out a scream she fell to the ground, blood pooled around her as she lay motionless._

"_RUTHIE!" he screamed thrashing against the chains that held him prisoner. Much like his own freedom had come; the shackles fell away as Martin was forced to watch himself try hopelessly to stop the bleeding. Too much had already made its way onto the concrete floor. He quietly sighed, coming to stand behind himself as he barely brushed his own trembling shoulder to give himself room to kneel beside him. A touch he knew wouldn't be felt. As Martin fell to his knees beside himself, there was even less he could do about the spill of crimson and shallow breath._

"_What a shame. Such a beautiful girl," the first man said shaking his head in disappointment._

"_HOW COULD YOU!"_

"_It's very easy. We just had to put a bullet through her heart," he said matter of factly. Martin let his brow come together in clear confusion. Her eyes and her heart were in no way related to one another and yet here she was, bleeding from somewhere in her chest._

"_Give me my son!" he demanded as his more aware self cupped the small girl's cheek, already quickly losing color, silently begging her to fight._

_**"Come on, Ruth. You can't let them win," he whispered.**_

"_Oh no, no, no. How can we trust you to take care of him when you can't even save the girl? Now to get down to the real order of business. The match, Jacob." The burly man handed his partner a ready flame and watched as he held it once more to his small face. Martin looked on helplessly. "Why don't we just get rid of this little bastard, huh?" Before either of them could utter a single word, Aaron's small body went up in flames._

* * *

Martin sat bolt upright as his eyes finally opened. In the darkness of the room, he frantically pulled apart the sheets and blankets that surrounded hm. "Ruth!" he called, his own voice sounding hoarse to his ears. Hearing her name Ruthie jolted, running into the next room.

"Martin!" she whispered loudly turning on the light as she ran over to his bedside. She watched for no more than a few seconds as he ripped into everything, despite his sleepy haze. Her small hands came around his wrists, stopping him quickly.

"I have to...I have...My son," he mumbled shakily. Ruthie herself was more confused than ever but that feeling was only a shadow compared to the overpowering sadness that washed over as she watched his face.

"Martin," she whispered. "Martin, I need you to look at me," she said calmly. When he deliberately refused, Ruthie had to take her hands around his face and force his eyes forward. The lighting she'd offered the room did nothing to hide the clear sheen of sweat that trailed down his temple. "Breathe," she prompted. He only shook his head vigorously.

"Where is he?!" he shouted desperately.

"Where's who?" she asked, though quickly kicked herself for asking. Quiet grunts could be heard beside them then. If the tension in the room wasn't so thick, Ruthie would have smiled a little.

"My son!" he breathed.

"Relax," she said quietly, picking the baby up carefully and handing him over. Ruthie watched as he looked him over with a critical eye. "He's okay," she smiled. Martin nodded with a touch of hesitation before his free hand came out to brush her jaw. If she wasn't so set on keeping his eye contact, her own would have closed at his touch.

"You're here," he whispered, his tone disbelieving. She nodded, trying not to shiver at how his hand felt against her face.

"Hard not to hear that," she said softly. A tentative frown swept over his face at her gentle jab. "It's okay," she mumbled. "Wasn't really sleeping anyway." That much was true. As subtle as their presence was, the questions that whirled in the younger Camden's head left very little room for decent rest.

"Sorry..."

"What happened?" she asked easily dismissing his apology.

"Guns...Fire...Blood. Everywhere."

"Full sentences," she mumbled. Martin shook his head, not even sure how to word any of it. He had been forced to watch as the two people he cared the most about be put to an end right in front of him.

"Set him on fire...Shot you in the head. You bled from your chest. I have no idea what any of that even means but...you were gone..."

"It was just a dream," she whispered. "We're both right here." Even as she uttered her reassurances, his grip on Aaron seemed to tighten. "We're okay," she said squeezing his hand gently.

"It felt so real. They forced me to see it. All of it. Cuffs and tied. I couldn't move. Right in front of me."

"But it didn't. We're both right here," she whispered speaking identical words even more quietly now.

"What if I can't do this? What if I'm not good enough to figure any of this out…by myself?" Ruthie almost laughed. There was no question whether he could or couldn't. He'd proved himself from the moment his son was born.

"Stop. You can do this. You are good enough. I don't know exactly what you dreamed but if that's what it's telling you, it's not true. Not true at all."

"You died..." She gently took the hand she held and placed it over her heart. He stayed there for a solid minute before drifting up to the pulse on her neck. She could see visible relief in his eyes after he made sure for himself that such a thing wasn't just imagined.

"I'm sorry I woke you," he sighed backing away. Ruthie easily shook her head.

"It's okay," she said softly. She saw the thanks in his eyes and nodded. "No problem," she mumbled easing up off the bed. Before she could even turn toward the door, his hand wrapped around her wrist. She looked over at him questioningly.

"Stay with me…" he said. "Please." The last word came out pleadingly. She was about to ask why but held her tongue. _After a dream like that, I wouldn't be okay either _she reasoned. Who would be? She stayed quiet as she let the room go dark.

"Okay," she said crawling in next to him. Were it anybody else, she would be more than a little bit skeptical. Martin was just...Martin. As much as she battled with herself, she knew they would do nothing more than sleep, as much as she secretly hoped for just a touch more. Aaron rested between the two of them, his hands wrapping around each one of their available fingers. "Guess someone already decided for me," she chuckled. Ruthie closed her eyes with a smile on her face as Martin pulled them both closer to him, shielding her in ways the younger Camden never let herself entertain until that very moment. Truth be told, there was something so..._No, Ruthie, don't let yourself go there_ she scolded, fully aware of his arm and the light weight it pressed to her body as she let sleep take over.

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**A/N: There we have it. A little bit longer and more detailed. Hopefully the extensions made things more clear.**


	3. Memory Lane & Moving In

**A/N: Alright. A nice long one, since I broke three and four up in the weirdest places. This one definitely seems to flow a lot better.**

**Disclaimer: Still don't own it**

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Sleep felt even less possible now. If where she currently was, was a trick of the mind, some kind of dream...There was no way she could close her eyes now, though she tried. Ruthie knew that not very much time had passed by the time her eyes fell open again, the room still just as dark as moments before. Even when she turned to watch the two of them on her side, Martin's hand seemed to falter for only a moment before it readjusted.

As hard as she tried to deny it, being as close to Martin as she currently was ignited a flame inside of her that she thought had long since died down. Not to say that it wasn't there the entire time. She had just learned to bury it knowing full well that he would never feel the same way. She had T-Bone now. Even after his declaration, there was no going back. She'd floated around for years just waiting. Jealously alone drove his desire for her. Convenient how that always seemed to be the way it worked. The minute she had someone, alarms sounded. Too little, too late.

There was something so simple about T-Bone. Ruthie couldn't deny that he was a genuine guy. She wouldn't have made the decision otherwise. She always had better sense than that. And he really was. Someone who treated her well and helped nurse her broken heart. T-Bone gave her all of the things that she had yet to get from anywhere or anyone else He had even gone so far as to tell her he loved her. Martin she knew spoke out of some desperation, a typically defined protective nature. Slowly Ruthie had grown to love him too. There was no competition with T-Bone. Ruthie was his and his alone. She hadn't yet found the courage to actually say so out loud. She didn't even know why. Those few words seemed even harder than the lecture she was going to give earlier. She was always so close to uttering those few words but the opportunity never came up.

A year ago she would have been jumping for joy at Martin's admission. The speech had just come about six months too late. She was committed to another. That's the way it would stay if she wanted to guard her heart from any future pain. She would be lying if she said there would be no temptation. Since they were now under the same roof (and currently in the same bed) she would just have to fight it. _Just like old times _she thought.

Allowing her eyes to close again, she felt a foot rub up against her pajama covered shin. Just the simple touch made her breath hitch. In the darkened room it was so quiet that she was afraid the sound would wake him. Looking over in his direction she let out a sigh of relief as she noticed he was still asleep. Oblivious to the affect he had on her just then. After a few more minutes of staring at his silhouette she felt herself drift into unconsciousness for the third (and hopefully last) time that night.

After what felt like only minutes later a quiet whimper brought her out of her dreamless sleep. She could hear the slow squeak indicating Martin weight coming off the mattress.

"Martin?" he heard her ask groggily. He felt himself jump about a foot in the air as he registered the fact that he wasn't alone. "What time is it?" she asked snuggling further into the pillow.

"Six," he replied as he tried to figure out what in the world Ruthie was doing in his bed. He specifically remembered them going off into their own rooms.

Hearing how early it was, Ruthie wanted nothing more than to go back to sleep. Or at least that was the plan. The sun sneaking in through the blinds had other ideas. Ones she didn't particularly agree with. With an angry sigh she sat herself up.

"If I'm cranky all day today, I blame you," she said pointing an accusing finger in Martin's direction.

"I didn't do anything," he said defensively. "It's not my fault he likes to get up at the most ridiculous hour." Ruthie cracked a smile at the eye rolling she saw. "All I wanna do is crawl back into bed and get some shut eye," he yawned, a slight stretch pulling her shirt up enough to reveal a slice of tanned skin. Martin only caught a glimpse before averting his eyes.

"Well, Aaron seems to think differently," she pointed out as she heard him laugh gleefully. The young father groaned rubbing sleep from his own eyes. "6am and already cracking jokes. What's your secret?" she muttered

"Apparently," Martin grumbled. Ruthie didn't miss the hint of pride in his eyes as he looked down at his son.

"I think food might be the secret ingredient. Maybe then we'll be able to have at least half the energy he does," she said throwing the covers off and heading for the door as she yawned, Martin not far behind.

"So, what will it be?" she asked as they made it to the bottom of the stairs. Martin was already making his way over to the microwave with a bottle for Aaron. As the timer started, he turned.

"You cook?" he asked in mock surprise.

"You make it sound like I've never touched a stove before," she said rolling her eyes.

"Everyone's touched a burning stove top at least once before they turned six."

"Exactly," she smirked. "With so many of us living here I was bound to learn something."

"Like how to get in touch with the department in case of a fire?" She quickly nodded, sweeping her hand over a long list left on the fridge in Annie's handwriting.

"And if I forget, it's right there."

"I don't know. What can you cook?" she shrugged

"I've been told my eggs are pretty good," she shrugged.

"In that case I'll take two," he decided, letting the door swing open as it beeped. The little boy took to it eagerly, determined to hold onto it himself. "Going to have to get you off of that soon," he mumbled.

Sitting down at the kitchen table, it all came flooding back to him. The mornings he would sit to enjoy a meal with the family. The talks he and Ruthie had shared over the years. School, boys she had dates with. Boys he swore he would hunt down and kill if they ever hurt her. He never said those exact words but his warnings were always enough. And he did so to every one of them, not expecting to one day be another name on the long list of fools who broke his little sister's heart.

He cringed at the thought now, just as he'd been doing for the last few months since they'd last talked about it. No guy in his right mind would consider Ruthie Camden a little sister. At least, not in the way that he always seemed to. As relieved as Martin was to have the confession off his back, he still struggled with where they stood now. He had to choose one side of the spectrum or the other at some point. The constant push and pull was doing neither of them any good. Martin didn't have very much choice anymore anyway. Her new…whatever he was made his and Ruthie's relationship pretty clear.

Thought of the two of them made him sick, though he wasn't sure which mask demanded more attention at this point. Martin could smell it from a mile away. The guy was all kinds of bad news but he'd lost his right to an opinion over a single bite of pizza. He hung his head shaking it quietly. Catching him out of the corner of his eye, Aaron giggled. "You think everything's funny, huh?" The little boy continued feeding in virtual silence. At this point, he wouldn't be surprised if that was Aaron's subtle indication to his stupidity. If it was, the baby wasn't too far off. Martin felt pretty stupid himself at this point. To this day he couldn't erase the look on her face after he told her Sandy was having his baby. The hurt and anger in gaze still haunted him.

"Two eggs with cheese, a cup of coffee with two and a half scoops of sugar not cream," she announced placing it in front of him. He couldn't believe she had remembered. As small a detail as it was, something about it warmed him a little.

"You remembered," he smiled, grateful for the mug's warmth as he carefully brought it to his lips.

"And why wouldn't I?" she asked. The simplest inquiry, almost as though she too was laughing at him. "Been here enough," she shrugged. "Every day for the first three weeks. Something about avoiding…"

"Getting specific now," he smirked. As much fun as they'd learned to poke at the situation, she was right. Ruthie was always so overly aware.

"Observation," she mumbled.

"I don't know. I'm just surprised." Partly a white lie but it fit the situation in some ways. In more ways than he'd ever openly admit.

"I lived with you for years, remember?" she reminded him. As if he would ever forget. Life with the Camdens had been the best time he ever had. _Especially with one Camden in particular_ he thought to himself. Most importantly, they'd provided him with a roof over his head and a family that knew how to stay in one place for more than two months at a time.

"Yeah, I do," he said. Ruthie offered him a light smile as she took one of many open chairs. They were both so concentrated that they didn't even notice the kitchen door swing open, revealing a sleepy-eyed Annie Camden.

"Morning Mom," Ruthie said with unusual cheeriness. Her mom eyed her suspiciously as she turned on the coffee maker.

"Good morning, Ruthie." It took her a few minutes to notice her daughter was not alone. "Martin," she said genuinely surprised. As frequent as his morning visits were, seeing him in her kitchen always left her genuinely pleased.

"Morning, Mrs. Camden," he said making his way over to give her a partial hug. Annie returned it warmly.

"To what do I owe this wonderful visit?" The exchange always varied some, though the message was always very much the same.

"Nothing, I just dropped by to see how Ruthie was dong," he said. She didn't have to know about last night's events. Not the entire story anyway. Some of it he wasn't even that sure of yet. He sure wasn't going to be the one to say anything about it.

"This early in the morning?" she asked confused. "Won't Sandy be wondering where you are?" Ruthie noticed Martin stiffen instantly. She silently cursed her mother for broaching the subject as she gave his knee a reassuring squeeze. That simple touch sent Martin's eyes in her direction. Offering her a grateful look, one glance allowed him to scrape up the courage to explain.

"She won't be," he said simply. Annie gave him yet another look of confusion.

"Did you two have a fight this morning?" she asked. _Not quite…_ Ruthie thought.

"She left last night," he said easily, ignoring the bubbling frustration that started at the base of his stomach.

"Oh my," she said.

"I don't even know why. She didn't even really explain." Martin was quickly coming to realize that short and not so sweet was the intention of her farewell.

"She just left this," Ruthie finished handing her mother the letter he had shown her the night before, anger rising in her as she recalled the words scrawled on the page.

"Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry," she said giving him a hug. The embrace was returned with little to no hesitation, Martin becoming even more grateful for their words. He in no way asked for sympathy and rarely did the Camdens give it. Kind and caring was just their way.

"I'm not even sure what I did. She just took off."

"You didn't do anything," Ruthie mumbled. "She's always been like this."

"For a few weeks, yeah. Always comes back though. I wonder what did her in. Why she would just…leave him, I don't know."

"She's a—"

"Ruth," he sighed.

"I don't know why we dance around it. She is. Sandy's just as responsible and you're the one doing all the work."

"We gave her all the tools and resources. It's up to her how she decides to use them," Annie pointed out.

"Her method sucks," Ruthie said simply.

"Ruthie, she's still his mother," Annie said quietly.

"Sure, let's go with that," she muttered. She quietly rose, taking the now empty bottle and walking it to the sink. "Just like your daddy," she mused watching as he eagerly picked at Martin's plate.

"You know you're more than welcome to move back in with us," Annie offered. "In fact I'm not just asking you to, I'm suggesting it." Ruthie's eyes shot up to her mother as she tried to quiet her inner monologue, already begging to spill over. Painting what she hoped to be a moderate smile across her face (not too eager but equally not as comfortable with Annie's quick suggestion) she nodded.

"It would be fun having you around again," Ruthie pitched in hoping she sounded convincing.

"Are you sure? I would really hate to impose." The younger Camden rolled her eyes. Martin walking around the house was anything but imposing.

"Don't be ridiculous. You're family." She smiled squeezing his hand gently under the table.

"They like you better than they like me," she teased.

"Doubt that but thanks," he mumbled.

"Fine, don't believe me," she shrugged.

"Thank you," he whispered. Why he suddenly sounded so shy about the offer, about the family in general was kind of ridiculous.

"You're more than welcome. I'll just have Eric bring down the old crib from the attic and you'll be all set." As her mom started pacing around the kitchen, Ruthie still wasn't quite sure how to feel.

_Back to square one _she thought. Whatever that meant, they'd all find out soon enough.

* * *

Only minutes later, Eric Camden emerged through the kitchen door. Letting out a heavy sigh, he took a seat in the closest chair available. Ruthie looked over at him with a smile.

"Morning Dad."

"Good morning, Ruthie," he said as he struggled to keep his eyes open.

"Long night, Mr. Camden?" Martin asked. It took Eric a minute to notice that he was being addressed but eventually met the speaker's eye.

"Oh Martin, so nice to see you," he said trying to wake himself up a little. "Yes, it was. Who knew writing a sermon could take so much out of someone?" he chuckled. "Bit of a dumb question," he realized. "When you're inspired though, no point in putting it off." His two table mates nodded silently.

"Coffee Eric?" Annie offered already placing it on the table in front of her husband.

"Please," he said turning his attention to Martin. "So, how are things?"

"Okay I guess."

"Just okay?"

"So things could be better but…" Martin didn't exactly want to tell the tale again. It wasn't that he didn't trust the reverend. The boy saw him as an honest father figure. He found himself turning to him more than his own father. He just didn't feel up to explaining himself all over again.

"But…?" Eric prompted gently. Martin stayed quiet, swallowing hard on his frustration when Ruthie looked over at him with a nod of reassurance.

"Life with S-sandy…" Martin noticed how much a struggle it was just to get her name out of his mouth. He didn't even know why it was so hard. It wasn't like they were in a real relationship. The two were never even in love. They only tolerated one another for the sake of the son they shared. And even that she didn't want anymore. From the corner of his eye, Martin saw the look of concern on Eric's face when he noted the way the sentence died on his lips.

"What about life with Sandy?" he pushed gently.

"It's complicated," was all he said. Eric chose not to press it any further than he already had.

"Martin and Aaron will be staying with us for a while," Annie said.

"Good to hear," he smiled. "Stay as long as you see fit son," Eric said giving him a pat on the shoulder. All this time and he still wondered why it was so easy to treat him like family, especially after what he'd done. He just nodded his thank you. Taking his share of the coffee, the minister started his trek back to the office.

"I think I'm going to go get this guy back to bed," Martin said making his way back upstairs.

"I'll take that as my cue to get this house in order," Annie decided. Once everyone had gone, leaving Ruthie alone, she started in the direction of her own room. Considering the long night she just had, she crawled back into bed hopping to get a little bit more sleep. As often as she tried, her body just wouldn't have it. She was never one for afternoon naps anyway. For the longest time, she just laid there making pointless shapes and creatures in the ceiling. Maybe she could call T-Bone. He would clear the cobwebs her thoughts had quickly become. He had no room to pry or ask questions. Ruthie could just let the situation sit for a while. He hadn't been around the house lately anyway. _He's just been really busy. He'll show up eventually._ Maybe she would try getting some homework done, seeing as she had nothing better to do anyway. _Might as well use the active brain for something_. The homework wasn't going to get itself done.

About half way through her history, she could feel someone's eyes on her. Looking up, she noticed Martin standing in her doorway. Odd. He'd always just walked right in.

"I don't bite," she teased. "You can come closer, you know." Not exactly the smartest invitation but whatever.

"I uhh…"

"Did you need something?" she asked. She noticed how nervous he looked by the way he didn't give her an instant reply. "Martin, is something wrong?" she asked worriedly. Still he said nothing. He just continued to look at her. Martin still couldn't help but marvel at how amazing this girl really was. She still accepted him after everything he'd done to her. He wasn't blind to what she wanted and somehow he managed to ruin it for her. They were in no way small crimes either. These were things he still hated himself for to this day. To be honest, he probably always would to some degree. The idea that she could accept his son (of course not without a struggle) made Martin hate himself just that little bit more. She had every right to hate him and erase him from her life completely. Yet, she found it in herself to forgive him and allowed the framework to be laid down on a friendship he so quickly destroyed. "Martin?" she asked again bringing him out of his own head for a brief second.

"What?" he asked slightly dazed. He wasn't even sure why he was here. It wasn't like Aaron couldn't be left alone for ten minutes. He was asleep and virtually dead to the world for at least a half hour. _You wanted an excuse to talk to her_. So why was he suddenly at a loss for coherent words?

"Did you need something?" she asked again. "You've been standing at my door for the past five minutes," she reminded him.

"Oh. Ummm…Could you do me a favor?"

"You don't have to ask," she smiled.

"Would you watch Aaron for a few minutes while I go take a quick shower?" Stupid question. Stupid excuse. Just…stupid. They'd done this countless times. It was one of those things that went without asking and always got the same response regardless of the reason for it.

"Of course," Ruthie replied.

"Thanks." _That's it? _Martin groaned. All that build up for nothing.

"No problem," she said getting up off the bed.

"He should be okay until I'm done but if for some reason he does wake up—"

"Done this before, Dad," she said.

"Right. Okay good." With that, Martin made his way toward the bathroom. Gathering her unfinished homework, Ruthie made her way to her old room. Quietly, she set herself up and started again. In the silence that fell between them, all that could be heard was Aaron's calm, even sigh as he slept. So calm in fact that she felt herself begin to drift. Giving up on any attempt get anything else done, she set her books aside and lay up against the head board. The hard, wooden surface would most defiantly prevent her from falling into a deep enough sleep. She would just rest her eyes for a few seconds.

The shattering of glass made Ruthie jolt in surprise, resulting in her head making contact with the wood surface. She grimaced as she massaged the sore spot carefully. Only seconds later a loud cry alerted her to her small charge. Jumping off the bed quickly she picked up the frightened baby.

"Shh it's okay," she whispered calmly, running her fingers through his hair. That seemed to quiet him down some. "Scary stuff, huh?' The child's only reply was a small whimper. It was likely just a broken glass but it was enough to startle both of them. Humming quietly, Ruthie made her way back over to the bed. Lying herself down, she carefully placed him on her chest. This always helped her relax when she was small; falling asleep to the sound of her mother's gentle heartbeat after she woke from a nightmare. Slowly, she could feel the tension in his small body decrease as his breathing became even again. After a while she could feel her eyes begin to droop again. This time she gave in.

* * *

Turning the shower off, Martin stepped out wrapping a towel around himself. Collecting his things he made his way back to his bedroom. Taking in what (or in this case who) lay on his bed he stopped in the doorway. There looking so peaceful, were two of the most important people in his life. Martin was quick to realize they may just be the two that ever made the list. He smiled at the sight. Her soft curls lay spilled out on his pillow, her small figure barely taking up any room on the large bed. Being as quiet as he possibly could, Martin tiptoed over to his duffle bag and carefully unzipped it to remove a fresh set of clothes. While in the process of re-zipping his cell phone rang.

"Shoot!" he hissed as he dug around in his bag clumsily in an attempt to find it before the sound could disturb them. Looking at the caller ID the name "Mac" flashed across the screen. Quickly he snapped it open, carefully closing the door behind him. "What?" he snapped.

"Well hello to you too Brewer," Mac replied.

"Sorry. Hi Mac. What's up?" he whispered.

"Nothin' too big. Just wanted to see how you were doing."

"You saw me two days ago," he reminded him.

"So? Is it a crime to call you or something? If so the cops would have arrested me a long time ago," he said. Martin rolled his eyes and sighed.

"No but you could have picked a better time."

"What do you mean? It's almost noon."

"It's just been a long night," he sighed. "We didn't get much sleep."

"Little guy been keeping you up?"

"Not exactly…" he sighed.

"Martin?"

"Mac, I gotta go. I'll call you later,"

"Wait is that Ruthie I hear in the background?" he asked.

"Kind of a long story. I'll explain later."

"Oh come on Mar—" Mac's sentence was cut off as Martin snapped the phone shut. With a sigh, he walked into the room again dropping the phone on the bed. Ruthie's eyes widened in shock as she took in the sight. There Martin stood in nothing but towel as it slowly inched down his body, water still dripping from his newly washed hair. She could feel her heartbeat picking up as her eyes almost popped out of her head. All she could do was stare.

"Ruthie, are you okay?" Now it was her turn to be speechless. Seeing the look on her face Martin followed her line of vision. He blushed holding his clean clothes to his body, somehow hoping that it would cover him, as if by magic. _Freakin' great! __Stupidity: 2, maybe 3. Martin: 0._

A few minutes later Martin walked back into the room. Thankfully this time he was fully clothed.

"So...did everything go okay?" he asked sitting himself down on the bed, both of them moving a safe distance apart.

"Yeah. He woke up for a bit when Mom broke something downstairs but other than that it was fine," she said.

"Figured it would." Ruthie rolled her eyes and smirked.

"You're such a dad," she mumbled.

"Well that's good, I was startin' to worry."

"You're ridiculous."

"So I've heard. Not really all on me though." Ruthie's heart sank despite herself. "Amazing how something so small can have so much power." She swallowed hard, willing herself to face him.

"Isn't that the truth," Ruthie agreed. This little person had changed everything for Ruthie. He'd closed all doors of possibility with Martin by simply becoming a part of the planet they lived on. Martin didn't miss the hint of disappointment in her tone as she spoke. He couldn't help feeling guilty. Again. Aaron hadn't just changed his life forever. He also had an enormous impact on the relationship he had with Ruthie. The look of anger he had seen a few months ago flashed across his mind, his tongue rolling across his lip nervously. He hadn't meant to hurt her. Yet in his lack of conscience, he had hurt her in the worst possible way.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly.

"It's done," she mumbled

"This," he said hoping she would catch on so he wouldn't be forced to say it out loud.

"'This' could mean…a lot of things, Martin. Do you mean moving in again? Because like I said before you don't have to apologize for that. She's always been in and out. I was kind of just waiting for her to pull something like that."

"What?"

"You can't tell me you didn't see it coming," she said trying not to sound as deadpanned as her unspoken thoughts.

"No, I mean us." _Oh…_ Ruthie wanted to say that there never was an 'us' to begin with. At least not in the way she really wanted a few months ago. She wanted to say that the kiss barely meant anything. That would be a lie. Those few seconds meant more than she could ever put into words. She had even less of a window now to express them. The thought of her current boyfriend both saddened and silenced her. "I haven't gone anywhere, Martin. I've been right here all this time," she said.

"I know and that's what surprises me. I put you through so much and yet you're still here."

"That's what friends are for Martin. They're supposed to be there for each other no matter what," she said putting her hand on his arm. The way she uttered the word 'friends' made him uncomfortable now, almost like she was forcing the idea on them, which really, she was "Plus I don't think my parents would let me move out yet so I was stuck here anyway," she chuckled. He gave her a small but struggling smile. "Everything happens for a reason," she said matter of factly. Right. Those words of reassurance. He'd heard them so many times over the last year, Martin wasn't even sure if they counted as words anymore. By now, they all came off as sounds more than anything.

"He's changed my life, Ruthie," he whispered. "And as crazy as it sounds, I wouldn't change a thing," he said looking lovingly at the sleeping boy. "The love I feel for him is something I can't even really describe."

"It's not crazy. You don't have to change anything. I can see it in your eyes," she said honestly.

"I don't understand how she can do it. Just walk out without any guilt whatsoever."

"I don't know. I'm still trying to make sense of it too. How she can just look at him and…She's going to regret it, Martin. There's no doubt in my mind. I don't know when but karma's a funny thing." He nodded, grateful for her words even though neither of them were any closer to an answer.

"I'm sorry I didn't call yesterday. Things just got really hectic. We had a fight…".

"You think that's why she…?"

"If it is, that's stupid as ever. We always figured things out. For him, you know?" No, she didn't. Not entirely.

"It's okay, I understand," she said. And she did. Ruthie always kind of got it, even when she didn't want to.

"No. The least I could do was call you on your birthday and I couldn't even do that!" he said mentally kicking himself for being so thoughtless. "Dishes. We got into it about dishes. So stupid. Funny thing is it's never anything serious. When it is we just…silent treatment and do what we gotta do. I said it before. We don't talk. We just…let it blow over. I kind of expected this to be the same thing. It's not obviously but, I could've spared a second. Might've actually helped honestly."

"Hey, hey it's okay. You're forgiven. You don't have to beat yourself up about it," she said. And he didn't. There were always other birthdays. She was the one being pathetic about it.

"What do you say to pizza and a movie, my treat?" he offered hoping to make it up to her.

"Sure," she said. Martin could feel butterflies at the pit of his stomach as he noticed the smile that spread across her face. It wasn't much but it was something. "Looks like he gets to hang out in crazytown." Both watched as Aaron's eyes silently opened.

"So you'll do it?"

"I already said yes," she laughed. "What's with you today?"

"Great, we'll leave by seven."

"Okay…I think someone might have to go to the brain doctor," she chuckled quietly. Aaron of course just laughed right along with her.

"You're so lucky you're holding him right now…"

"Why?" Ruthie's eyes went wide as she followed his train of thought, his gaze turned to the pillow he leaned on. "You wouldn't dare."

"Oh I would, if it weren't for him."

"Saved by the baby!" she said triumphantly holding Aaron closer to her as an attempt to better her shield.

"Low. Even for you, Camden."

"You're the one who said it, not me."

"Not like that!" Ruthie just shrugged, a traditionally smug expression coming across her mouth.

* * *

**A/N: Thoughts? Questions? Leave 'em down there!**


	4. Lyrics & Lingering

**A/N: Chapter 4: Completely unplanned but it just kept going so naturally, I just went along for the ride. Hopefully it worked out.**

**Disclaimer: Don't own anything**

* * *

Silence had never been more comfortable. For well over an hour, the three laid in quiet company of the other leaving the last few hours as some kind of unspoken understanding. Aaron's even breathing as he quietly played with Ruthie's hair was as loud as it seemed to get.

"I almost don't want to move," she whispered. Martin shook his head. He attributed lack of motivation to just how early they'd been woken up. If he were awake enough, he could probably muster up enough to glare at the little boy, far too easily entertained by the bounce in Ruthie's curls to care.

"Got about twelve hours," he laughed. Ruthie nodded trying to suppress a yawn. "You could use a couple of those to nap," he pointed out. "You're usually around for the day shift. No sane person keeps a brave face this early in the day." Ruthie just rolled her eyes.

"I've got things to do," she countered, the fact that he was a self-proclaimed crazy all on his own sat at the tip of her tongue but she chose to bite down on it harshly before the words had a chance to fall out. Martin looked at her curiously. "Homework," she said simply.

"You graduated….I was there. All of us were." Even if his new priorities did a fine job of sucking him dry, he had enough time to sit through four hours of pointless speeches just to watch the youngest Camden get her diploma. He remembered very little of that night. Some speaker went on about how they were moving onto their next big adventure and the valedictorian wasted everybody's time by saying something eerily similar. The little he stored in his long term memory was the way her long dark hair fell over shoulders and the light smile (no teeth) that graced her face. Everyone was there for their own kid anyway. The ten seconds it took to walk up and shake some person's hand was quickly drowned out by the other thousand who did the exact same thing. Still, Martin went, knowing that with all he'd put her through, he could give Ruthie one night.

Ruthie rolled her lip realizing how easily she was caught in her own little white lie. The truth was she couldn't sleep, no matter how tired she really was. The last few hours left her a lot to think about. What did any of it matter now anyway? Someone had gone and pressed rewind on the tape that was their more than odd relationship. She wasn't even sure what kind of relationship it was anymore. She had someone and…up until the night before, good or bad, so did he. Now they were thrown back into the ring, in no real position to do anything about it. Not that she wanted to. "Your mom was the loudest one in the stadium. You don't have homework."

"I just have stuff to do, okay? So do you. We can't just sleep till 7. As appealing as it all sounds." He had to scramble to make his face as expressionless as possible, her words and the way she used them a bit of a surprise to him.

"Alright, whatever. It's just a suggestion. You can put the claws away."

"I don't have claws," she muttered.

"You haven't met yourself then," he said quietly.

"What was that?" she mumbled turning to him.

"Nothing," he said quickly. "Just be ready, okay? Don't want to be late."

"We've got like eleven hours," she laughed. Now it was Martin's turn to shrug. "You're acting like this is some big fancy dinner when really we're just going to the Promenade. The most exciting we're going to get is maybe a visit to the Dairy Shack if I get pouty enough. Then you'll _have_ to take me," she smirked.

"You're making it sound like this big sacrifice."

"You don't know what we're seeing yet. I might have to drag you through the whole night and then you'll get all grumpy and groan about it for hours, telling me how much torture it is."

"Is this some kind of punishment?"

"I prefer to call it a lesson," she teased. Martin couldn't help but let his stomach turn to knots. Just the idea of being in the same room with her sent his head spinning like a stupid teenage girl. Or maybe he was so frantic because it meant that for just a few hours he could be society's idea of normal. Ruthie had a very simple way of doing just that. No masks, no games. Things just were. Lesson or no lesson, he'd take it.

"Professor Camden," he joked, his quip earning him a single-handed pillow to the arm. "Was that detention?" he laughed expertly avoiding the throw and letting it land on the floor beside him before picking it back up, glaring when Aaron found humor in the whole thing. "Notice how I haven't gotten a shot at her once," he whispered.

"Hardly," she grumbled. Ruthie again found herself piercing her own tongue. Technically, he had, in ways she never even imagined possible. "Are we just going to lie here all day or do you want help getting all your junk moved in?" Martin swallowed hard, not even sure if he could walk through the place without wanting to throw out half of the things that didn't belong to him and burn the rest.

"We should probably go figure that out…"

"Yeah," she nodded. "We probably should." Realistically, Ruthie just wanted to leave everything there as it was. If she as much as set foot in that house she would be swimming in the shadows of people and places she would much rather forget. She was almost certain it wasn't just her either.

"Best to leave him here, I think. We'll just be going back and forth. This way he might just sleep and stay out of Mom's hair." Martin almost caught his own slip but didn't do much about it. The Camdens were really the only stability he'd known, kind enough that they somehow still treated him like one of the many extensions of the family, a courtesy he knew better than to properly deserve considering. If he thought of the technicalities and what he'd just implied, they'd be right back to the beginning. _You don't kiss your sister_ he thought. _Not like that. _Shaking himself of the thought Martin eased his son off her chest and smiled. "What do you think? Stay here or help us carry boxes big enough to fit you in?"

"That one's easy," Ruthie said, a smile coming across her own face. "Grandma's more fun than Dad any day."

"Thanks…" to which she easily shrugged.

"Just giving you the facts. They can make us cookies and juice. Everybody wins," she said, letting her finger glide up Aaron's leg. This of course got another one of his laughs as Ruthie gave Martin a knowing smile. "What'd I tell you? He loves it."

"I'm honestly not too excited about what we're doing either. Sounds like your day's going to be a lot more exciting." The little boy gave his father a knowing grin before sticking part of his shirt in his mouth.

* * *

And it probably very well was. Moments later, Martin and Ruthie were headed over to his house to box up what they could of the things they needed most immediately. It helped that at least half of it was already stored somewhere in the house. Under daylight, he could now see just how many traces of Sandy were really gone. Noticing how sparse she left it made him even angrier, though the emptiness was all the better for him. Literally nothing kept him here if he chose never to come back. Gone were the few family photos they'd taken over the last year, only their frames left propped on tables and a mantle that had gone unused for well over three weeks. She'd even gone so far as to removing the few paintings she had on the walls. Not that he cared for those. He had to assume she had help. There was no way Sandy had taken so much in so short a time. Not to mention how quietly it all had to be done if she wanted to make her escape without incident.

He wasn't entirely sure why there was little to nothing said while they worked. Martin wondered if it had anything or everything to do with where they were and why. The faster they got out, the easier it was to just lock up and forget about life behind these doors. Boxing up Aaron's few toys and necessities he couldn't keep from standing behind the small island, scanning the room for anything else important, taking a few seconds to reflect on what any of it meant.

He was now a single dad, just as his own father was. Though he considered the night before, something about a nearly empty house, which now kept only furniture and a few blankets made it all the more real. The only noticeable difference was that Sandy hadn't died. That made it all the worse. His own mother had no choice in her leaving. The mother of his son was ready and willing, eager to drop the few things that could potentially hold her back from whatever it was she wanted to do with her life.

"I think that's everything," Ruthie said with a heavy and labored sigh as she brushed her hands on her pants. Turning to her, Martin was once again brought back to the present, pulled easily from his own thoughts. So consumed in getting it all over with, he wasn't even sure how long they'd been there, or how many packing boxes traveled back and forth between houses. All that mattered was that they were now on the last few odds and ends.

"Yeah, we'll come back for things later if we need them," he mumbled. Ruthie looked at him carefully, her own eyes clouded with quiet concern. She chose to say nothing on the matter and decided a simple nod was probably enough.

"C'mon," she said gently, a slight tug at his arm. Martin looked down at her small hands, barely able to wrap effectively around his bicep. Those hands were the reason he kept his head at all and he knew it. The walk back to the house was equally as quiet, though comfortable all the same. As promised, they came back to the smell of fresh cookies and ice cold lemonade. "Martin, if you need—"

"No, I'm good," he said quickly. Ruthie met him somewhat skeptically but said nothing. They both knew that was a lie. Even so, she let him believe it for as long as he needed to.

"Just take a minute," she mumbled. "Sit, have a cookie or something. I promise these won't chip your tooth." He offered her a half-smile noticing how much effort even that was, taking a bite as he chewed methodically. As she watched him in silence, she became all too aware of his distance. "If you want a rain check…"

"No."

"It's okay if you do. I get it." No, she didn't but he had to give her points for trying, for being her usually supportive self. Even if she did, there was no backing out of this now. He'd broken enough promises to her for a lifetime.

"We're going," he said. Ruthie gave him a nod, not entirely sure he'd sit well with the decision after a few hours. Putting down his empty glass, he slowly backed away from the kitchen, easing up into the swinging door toward the stairs. "Just going to go…"

"Got it. I'll go hop in the shower and find something decent that's not covered in dust and old paint stains. Ruthie found she was talking to herself now, Martin already gone out the door and up the stairs. She shrugged, taking them two at a time herself. Giving herself fifteen minutes in the shower, she quietly tiptoed back to Martin's room, being sure to stay out of sight. What she found was somehow exactly what she expected. Aaron was fast asleep, curled up on his father's chest, Martin moments from doing the same.

"Ruth." Hearing her name, Ruthie quickly jumped back, knowing her attempt to be inconspicuous was pretty much a fail. "I know you're back there," he mumbled. With her genius plan unraveled, she padded guiltily into the room, pressed up against the wall.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to—"

"Come here," he said sleepily. Unlike the previous night, she was more hesitant with the given invitation, keeping her fair distance until otherwise. "Please?" he whispered. Slowly, still slightly unsure, she nodded sliding in beside them. As she pulled in closer, his arm came around her waist where he let his fingers run slowly along her hipbone. "S'the only thing that works when she's gone," he muttered.

"I know," she said quietly. Even when she was called over to help him, Ruthie often found him curled up on the couch exactly like he was now.

"He's going to want answers…I don't have those," he said, his own voice catching as his other hand ran through Aaron's hair.

"When you need them, they'll be there," she mumbled.

"I barely remember her…" Ruthie was quick to realize that Martin hardly ever spoke of her and that was probably enough reason as to why. "She used to sing…All the time. That much I do remember. Cooking, cleaning, in the shower. She was always singing. She wasn't one of those moms who didn't know she sucked. She was good. Really good. At least I thought so. I was…I think seven when she died. I don't remember dates and stuff. I'll only do that when I go visit her. And then it just…starts over. I'll hear her out there and swear she's fine. Sometimes I see her too and she's got that smile that's not really a smile. It was all in her eyes, that's how you knew. Anyway, I was one of those weird kids who actually _enjoyed _cleaning. Then again, I was six or seven so what did I know? But that's what we did. We cleaned with the radio on.

Sometimes we'd bake things and I remember eating almost all the dough before it made it to the pan. I'd regret it later. Every time. But when things like that are right there in front of you and you're a six year old kid who knows all about rules and how to break 'em, before you know it, you've got your head in the toilet because you don't know how to pace yourself. I'd get this half-hearted lecture about it too. I think she knew I'd end up doing it anyway. It happened so often that wasting her breath really didn't do much anymore. But it's not like she stopped giving me the stuff so you know.

And then it stopped. I'd come home and the kitchen was basically empty. She taught me how to call the pizza guy on a Friday night. I didn't think much of it. Friday was always that kind of day. She called it "junk day". The one day a week where healthy food was not an option. And then I got to call him on Mondays and Wednesdays too. Well, then I just thought I must've done something really impressive. Thing was, I didn't know what. I didn't come home with an A on my spelling test; I never made the honor roll. I was just your average kid. An army brat but, it wasn't like I was the only one there ever was.

It was always just me and Mom...And the pizza guy. The calls got so frequent they always sent the same one. His name was Steve. Steve was actually really cool. We got to talk about comics and cars. Guy stuff. Stuff Dad was never around to talk about. Until he was. By then, I hardly saw her. She was always curled up in her room. When Dad started coming home every day, the pizza stopped. One day I asked him why Steve never came around anymore. He just told me that we didn't need Steve anymore. That made even less sense to me but you don't argue with him. Then I figured out why. Neighbors started coming by with all kinds of food. I wanted to ask what it meant but I knew better.

Then things got really weird. I didn't go to school for a month. The drill sergeant, who made me go to school, even when I was sick. He let me stay home. I was all kinds of excited about that. Especially on days when I knew we had tests and things. The fact that I got to stay home from school for those…It was almost like Disneyland or something. I got to eat in bed, eat cookies if we had them. Even when I hadn't eaten dinner yet. We spent most of those days in Mom's bed. She sang for the first week. And then just…held me. The only times she let me do anything was when I had to go shower or use the bathroom or get food. The rest of the time it was this unspoken agreement that we'd just lay there together.

"I fell asleep in her arms. She was squeezing real tight then. It was almost impossible to breathe she had me in so close." Martin sighed turning to face Ruthie then. "3:45am her arms went slack. I remember taking her arm and wrapping back around myself. It would just…lay there. If I moved it'd just slip and end up at her side. I did all the things I could think of to try and wake her. For a while, I thought she was just in a really deep sleep so I let her be. I knew she wasn't okay. I didn't know much but I knew that. So I just left her. By seven the sun was starting to come up and she was starting to get cold. I wrapped her in blankets and rubbed her arms and stuff. By nine she was white. I didn't know what to do so I did the only thing I could think of. I called Steve.

It's a good thing he was working that morning or else we would be there until Dad got home. But anyway, Steve came over. When the doorbell rang, I rushed over to make sure it didn't wake her up or anything. I could tell by the look on his face when he saw her that something was really wrong. He told me to stay with my mom and he went to go make a call. Not quite sure how he did it but, he got Dad on the phone and he came over. Steve left after that but not before giving us four free pizzas. I had no idea why but I figured it had something to do with all the free food we'd been getting. Who cares? All that registered was that we were getting pizza we didn't have to pay for.

It wasn't until the funeral when I figured out exactly what happened to her. It was an open casket. She looked like she was sleeping. I remember poking her in the cheek. Things like that always got a reaction of some kind. I got nothing. She just kept laying there. I tried talking to her. She wouldn't even open her eyes. After everyone got a look at her, they closed it. And then we went out to a field….They put her in the ground.

Seven year old logic's a funny thing. Even though I saw her go in there, for the longest time, I just thought she was playing games with me. She'd be back. She'd sing me one more song; bake me one more tray of cookies. I even saved her the last pizza. I let it sit until Dad told me to eat it or he'd throw it out. Mom never came for her pizza." Recalling the gravestone, he shuttered pulling Ruthie to him as tightly as he remembered his own mother doing to him. "My mother died…about eleven years ago. I don't remember if I told her I loved her that night. Part of me thinks I forgot and I hate myself for it. Other times I think I did and I feel okay. I watched her waste away. I waited six hours to call for help. If I hadn't waited so long, sometimes I think she'd still be here. The more logical side of me knows there wasn't anything I could do. She died holding me. I like to think it helped at least a little."

"It did," she said gently. Martin just nodded, not quite sure he believed her entirely. "At seven, it makes no sense to you. You wonder how someone could just be gone. They never explained, they never gave you some kind of warning. God just takes them. August 15…" Ruthie's heart sank as she attempted to clear the sandpaper from her throat.

"Today…" she whispered. Martin barely nodded, a strangled smile coming to his lips as he let his eyes fall closed.

"Beatles. She loved them. Depending on when and where and sometimes why, it changes."

"What's she singing now?" she asked brushing at her eyes quietly.

"It's a pretty easy guess," he whispered tracing a light 'L' along her side.

"She sounds wonderful." Martin just nodded kissing the top of Aaron's head as he continued sleeping. "I like this…Just this is good."

"Yeah…." As Martin carefully folded a few strays behind her ear, he sighed.

"She likes you," he mumbled.

"What?"

"Mom. She likes you."

"I don't…"

"How do you think I hear her?" he smiled. Ruthie nodded, suddenly feeling silly for her thought processing. "Sometimes, when it's really quiet in here, I can hear her by the window. She's there now actually."

"Hi Mrs. Brewer," she mumbled dumbly, her cheeks flushing. Martin just chuckled brushing his lips lightly along her cheek, the soft pink becoming a harsh red as it crawled up her neck. _As if sleeping together wasn't enough…_ she thought. Piece by little unnoticeable piece, Martin would turn her to water. The most frustrating part was that he knew it now. That seemed to make toying with her that much easier. Were they not laying there in complete and utter silence, with the ghost of Martin's mother somewhere in the room, she may have been brave enough to turn on the slightest angle and…_No._

"I still wonder why no one ever told me she was sick or dying. I guess it was to protect me or something but, I don't know. Something about not knowing just…"

"…eats away at you," she finished. Again he nodded. "I know. Gets easier," she said as a glimmer of hope, though she doubted it would do very much.

"Not sure when but I hope so. I really do."

"Just listen to her," she whispered. _Let it be…._

"I…"

"Shh." Martin sighed, effortlessly turning Ruthie over just enough to meet her full on.

"Just listen," he countered. "She wasn't here last night. Needs to know I did right by you."

"Is she going to be watching us all the time now?" she teased, the notion comforting, no matter how odd it seemed.

"Mostly just me," he said."

"Well, that makes me feel better."

"I thought it might. I am sorry Ruthie. For all of it. Not listening, not seeing. More than anything though I'm sorry for," he mumbled, nodding toward his son.

"I don't want to hear it," she said quickly. "You don't get to be sorry for him. How and why it happened, yes. But not him. Never him. I won't let you. It's like saying he shouldn't be here. He is here. He _deserves_ to be here."

"You know what I meant."

"It doesn't matter. And you know you're forgiven almost everything else. If your mom needs to hear it, fine. In fact, since she likes me so much, I'll tell her." Martin quickly dropped his head in his hands running a hand along his face. "Mrs. Brewer? He's forgiven for everything. The rest of it….It's coming."

"What's that even mean?"

"It means, we're not there yet but we'll get past it."

"Right." Even as he heard such a promise, he could only hope that it was true.

"Okay you need to shut back up now. I'm having a nice chat here. You need to stop interrupting."

"Sorry."

"Good. As I said, if forgiveness is what you're looking for, feel free to go,"' she said kindly. "He's been forgiven for a while." Moments later, a slight gust of wind passed them, making Ruthie shiver.

"She's proud of you," she smiled. Martin sighed shaking his head. "She is. I know it. You know better than to argue with me," she grumbled.

"I just…I'm not sure I gave her very much to be proud of. Especially recently." Ruthie practically growled forcing his eyes up.

"Look at me," she whispered. He reluctantly raised his head try hard to avoid her gaze. "My eyes are up here." Though it helped to have her practically force it on him, Martin carefully met her straight on, a light sigh blowing across his face as she breathed. "She has every reason. I don't have to see her, hear her to know that. It's all in what you know, what she taught you

"I'm still sorry," he said softly.

"I know. You can't be sorry for beautiful things, Martin. You made that. He's here because of you. He's made it this far because you didn't give up on him. That is your greatest achievement. There's no room for sorry," she smiled.

"I heard you."

"Good."

* * *

**A/N: I actually love how this turned out but that might just be writer's bias. You be the judge.**


	5. Dates & Disruptions

**A/N: Chapter 5: Going to have to change things up a bit in some places for the sake of a better plot so things might be a bit different. But don't worry! The big stuff will come when it comes.**

**Disclaimer: Don't own anything**

* * *

"Martin, it's my birthday, okay? If I want a night in, you kind of have to give it to me." The truth was it hardly mattered what they did to commemorate her birthday. Seventeen wasn't exactly anything monumental. That was all next year. She knew even then that she didn't want anything over the top. None of her birthdays ever really were. With so many of them, you were lucky to get your favorite food for dinner and a slice or two of sheet cake.

"But it's your birthday," he pointed out. "Don't you want to do something, go somewhere?" He knew it would take more than one birthday to pay his debts but he had to start somewhere. Ruthie, as usual was making it really hard to make a dent in his so-called payments.

"No," she said simply. "I like personal. I like quiet. I like being able to walk around in my underwear if it strikes me," she muttered. Martin raised a curious brow letting his entire forehead crease at the words that slipped off her tongue. He'd be lying if he said her words didn't paint pictures. If he didn't think fast, the little bit of fishing line she gave him would dangle like a metronome he knew better than to touch. It took only a second for Ruthie to hear her words, echoed back almost as effectively as the blush that crawled up her neck leaving her so flushed she might as well be blue. As tempted and curious as her words left him, Martin let a smirk spread across his mouth.

"Now we're definitely not going anywhere. Who knows what else you got in there." His words let a snarl rip from her throat as she sent a pillow sailing across the room. His catcher instincts brought his hands up, his face gone untouched.

"Shut up," she whined, letting herself fall face first into the unmade bed she sat on. "You get my point." The second piece of her plea came through muffled as she expertly avoided his gaze, even as he came to sit beside her. Meeting his eyes, she groaned as she saw the obvious twinkle in them. _I should probably just stop talking._ Maybe, if she was lucky, the floor would open up and swallow her whole.

"I'm not sure I do," he mused bringing a string of lose curl to settle on her tense shoulder If she weren't so mad and downright embarrassed, Ruthie would have made a point to become ridiculously aware of where his hands were and where she couldn't help but wish they'd end up.

"Can we not? I said what I said and now you're just making it worse." Martin quietly shook his head. The bluntest of the Camdens always had no problem with words. It seemed that as she got older they came with less effort and more punch than he remembered.

"I didn't say anything," he said backing away innocently. Ruthie pouted as she turned over, not daring to look at him, the wall gladly holding her attention. Anything was better than the potential look on his face.

"No, but now you're probably thinking I'm some dirty virgin whore who's always thinking about sex," she mumbled.

"I…wasn't," he said slowly. "What the hell does that even mean anyway?"

"I don't even know, okay? Can we just not talk about it?" Martin bit his lip, not sure how long it would take him to clear the potential images from his head. For Ruthie's sake, he hoped it was soon.

"You're the one who brought it up," he said quietly.

"Well, I wouldn't have to if you weren't so insistent about taking me out for my birthday. I don't even like birthdays. Birthdays are stupid," she said crossing her arms angrily. She knew she was going off on some random tangent but it was almost necessary. Anything to keep herself from actually _wanting _to…Who was she? There were days she hardly ever knew the answer to that but she knew the one thing she wasn't and that would stay true no matter what she wanted or how badly she may eventually want it. T-Bone. That was enough to make her even more frustrated. _Not today. Please just not today._

He hadn't so much as called all week. When she went out of her way to visit him at work conversations were short and stoic. She chalked it all up to busy lives. Unlike her, her boyfriend had a decently paying job that he desperately needed if the whole idea of emancipation was going to work in his favor. She wasn't about to waste his time with stupid little chats. All the same, it wouldn't hurt to hear something, no matter how small. That was how relationships worked. The good ones anyway. And he was. T-Bone was good. Forgetful and dense at times but good to her, good for her. It wasn't like her life was suddenly over because of his lack of communication. Guys sucked at that for the most part anyway. Communication and proper signals. But what he lacked was made up for in sweet gesture and kindness. He would find some way to make this day something decent. The actual day had come and gone. No rush.

As she stressed to Martin for well over two hours already, she was in no mood to do anything spectacular. The talk they had earlier that day made leaving even less of an option now, whether Martin chose to admit it or not. He was in no position to leave Aaron and she knew it, even if he insisted on telling a different story.

"Now you're just being dramatic," he mumbled rolling his eyes. "If you don't want to go, we don't have to go. I just thought it'd be nice, that's all. But it's your birthday. You can do what you want."

"I'm not being dramatic. They're dumb. Once a year people get you presents and cards telling you how special you are and how much you mean to them. Stuff you should be able to tell them every day. Not that people are fishing for compliments or anything but half of them don't even mean it. It's common sense. You're supposed to say stuff like that. You don't make someone feel like crap on their birthday. So you say things you wouldn't normally because it's polite it's just a really stupid concept."

"Alright, Lucy. Slow your roll."

"Would you please stop talking?" she mumbled. "I just don't want to go out, okay?" Now that the time was closing in on them, she was starting to realize what that may or may not mean. Her nonbirthday could very well end in some kind of disaster with assumptions flying every which way. It would be just her luck that T-Bone was working the ticket counter. _Which is why I'd rather not press it_ she thought. Any other day they could rip each other's eyes out for all she cared.

"You didn't say that last year. Or the year before that. Or even the year before that," he said quietly.

"I didn't think it had to be said. I'm not Lucy. I don't need something big and extravagant. I don't need something that's 'just mine'. I like quiet. I like peace."

"Not sure that's going to happen anytime soon," he said. Ruthie eyed him for a minute before it clicked. "You're one of seven. Chaos is pretty much a given."

"Exactly. This is the only day I get to just relax. I'm not going to be able to do that if I have to go out in public and be all sensible. It's my birthday, dammit. I just want to curl up in a blanket, eat junk food and watch stupid movies I've seen half a dozen times already."

"Is that really what you want to do?" Ruthie nodded quietly, letting her shoulders fall from their tense position as she let out a sigh. "Okay." She couldn't help but notice that Martin looked slightly dejected, making her regret her outburst almost immediately.

"Sorry," she mumbled. "I just…I don't see why it matters. You don't want to leave him here if we go and I don't feel like being social."

"It's two hours. It's not like I haven't left him here before," he said, though he had to admit she was right. A night to himself almost felt wrong and out of place after what he'd spilled hours before. He would just come off as some kind of hypocrite.

"You'd be so focused on getting home to him that you won't even enjoy yourself. Just save us both the trouble."

"You're making it out to be this big chore to do nice things for you," he said quietly. "I want to do this for you. But if quiet's what you want, then that's fine." Ruthie had to fight the fact that over the last year, most everything they did together didn't come without effort. She knew it wasn't his fault, nor was she blaming him. She understood what his life was now. She couldn't help but wonder if he was scrambling to make up for lost time. Maybe he was. Even so, she couldn't keep from thinking it was more than a little ridiculous. Martin didn't really owe her anything. If anything, she owed him a dozen apologies for the things she said over the years.

"It's what I want," she whispered. "Just you and Aaron and a movie. That's it. No fuss no muss. Keep it simple." Martin shrugged pulling playfully at one of her curls. Ruthie Camden was a quick study. Anything but simple. All the same, she never seemed to ask for much of anyone. "Alright, simple it is. I was going to throw him in the tub before we left anyway. This way, I guess if he falls asleep he just falls asleep."

"Exactly. It's a win-win. You want any help?" He said nothing and quietly strode off to the bathroom. Ruthie took that as enough indication to follow him, glad she hadn't put much thought into an outfit as she let her top fall to the floor, quickly replacing it with an old t-shirt before making it the rest of the way over.

"Guess what time it is? Bath time for the stinky people. Aaron returned his announcement with a full belly laugh when Martin sent him half an inch over his head. "You say that now. Once you figure out what it actually means I'll be chasing you all through the house."

"Enjoy it while he's still slightly clueless," she laughed. After only a beat, Aaron giggled, almost as if he knew he was the topic of conversation. "Yeah we're talking all about you," she smiled, the back of her nail traveling up his belly as he laughed. "Alright, in you go." Easing her into the half inch of lukewarm water, she fell to her knees, dropping her white top by her feet. Martin knew there wouldn't be very much to see that he hadn't already seen before. He and Ruthie both had done this on a number of occasions, completely aware of just how quickly water could soak anyone on the other side of the tub. Something about the words she uttered, still rolling around in his head made tonight a little different. He had to watch himself if he had any hope of keeping his head (and other body parts).

"We're going to keep the splashing to a minimum this time, okay?"

"Good luck." Martin sighed as a spout of water sailed over the porcelain wall. "Guess he didn't hear you," she teased. The groan he had to offer was only laughed at when he met Aaron's toothless smile, save for a few that poked through.

"Showing me those teeth isn't going to do much for you, kid."

"Give him a break. He's proud of those," she chided. "I think they look great, Aaron. Don't listen to him. He's just cranky."

"I'm not the one who threw a fit in the bedroom ten minutes ago," he countered. Ruthie turned to him with a decent scowl across her face. "What? It's true."

"I wouldn't have done anything if you were just smart and agreed with me," she said.

"So now I'm stupid for trying to do something nice?" She just nodded letting her fingers glide through Aaron's shorter hair. "Remind me not to next time," he grumbled.

"Oh lighten up, I'm kidding. Maybe it's you who needs a bath. You're always so tense now. It makes you boring." Martin's brow shot up as he flicked water of his wet fingers onto her nose. "What the heck was that for?" she shrieked.

"Call me what you want, Camden but boring's where I draw the line."

"Well you are. You need to learn to relax," she breathed running her fingers along his arm. He watched her fingers in silence tracking them with his eyes.

"I am relaxed," he scowled. She eyed him skeptically knowing how false a statement it was. Within the last day or so, the young father was anything but relaxed. With good reason.

"Uh huh…." Martin just shook his head turning his attention back to small and busy hands that insisted on taking all the water from his side of the bathtub. "Okay, Aaron, I think you're done. No more. You're taking all the water out. You won't have anything left to play in." The little boy hardly seemed to care. Over a short time, both she and Martin were soaked, as predicted. She quickly drained the tub as Martin pulled him into a towel, Aaron keeping a steady pout as the water circled the drain.

"Next time, big guy. Ruthie wants to watch a movie. We can't spend all night playing in the water. You're just going to get old and wrinkled in there." A slight shiver brought the towel around him more tightly. "Better?" he mumbled folding his wet hair back on his head. Aaron responded by curling up into him and taking a fist full of his wet shirt. When they stepped back into the room, Martin laid him across the changing table, slipping out of his wet shirt as he reached for a clean outfit for him.

Now it was Ruthie who kept her eyes trained to the floor, the patterns in the carpet seeming strangely fascinating. If she didn't look, she wouldn't have to blush like an idiot. As it was, she wasn't even allowed to. Not that her body would bother listening. Martin wasn't hers to avoid, let alone secretly stare at out of the corner of her eye. That was T-Bone. T-Bone who hadn't so much as texted. That didn't matter. Facts were facts no matter how they were worded. Sure, they lived here now but that didn't change anything. All the same, she couldn't keep from offering a sideways glance at his washboard chest, willing herself to swallow hard.

"Going to get you nice and cozy," she smiled. "Daddy has these silly rules about clothes at birthday parties so it might be a good idea to find him a new shirt that's not got water all over it."

"That was you, actually." Ruthie served him a gentle glare effortlessly taking over almost forcing Martin to step back. "Pushy," he muttered.

"I know," she grinned putting Aaron in a set of pajamas already laid out. Efficiently snapping all the buttons, she stood him up on the table to admire her handy work. "You clean up nice." His arm quickly went around her neck as he settled at her collarbone. "I give him twenty minutes."

"I guess cookies take a lot of work." Ruthie nodded in agreement combing gently through his hair. "Guess you're going to be missing the movie, huh?"

"He'll be up halfway through," she said. "That's about the time we go get more snacks," she muttered against the soft skin of his forehead.

"It's like we're on a schedule," Martin laughed. She shrugged. Technically, they were. Not that she minded. Busy and distracted kept her mind from wandering to places that would just ruin her night. Padding down the stairs in her slippers, she popped in a DVD and easily curled up on one side of the couch while Aaron wrapped himself around her neck, his eyes already growing heavy though he refused to give in. "Go ahead. We'll tell you all about it," she murmured, the pad of her thumb lightly closing his eyes.

"Am I the concession stand or something?" Martin laughed as he came out the swinging door, arms full of all the little odds and ends from the kitchen cabinets. "We'll do popcorn after," he said quietly, bringing his feet up, her head coming to rest on his shoulder. When he looked over at her, she shrugged.

"I'm cold," she said matter of factly. Martin rolled his eyes as if to say _I wonder why_ as he brought a throw blanket around her shoulders. "Thanks." He nodded, easily pulling her close enough to him.

"When you're all skin like that, it's hard not to be." Ruthie blushed despite her best efforts to stay neutral about the whole thing. Who it was and how close together they were was hard enough to ignore in relatively normal situations. She had to remind herself time and time again where her priorities were and the little known fact that he wouldn't approve of this, at all, no matter how innocent the whole thing was. T-Bone knew enough of him and vise versa to be more than a little skeptical about motive. Not that Martin had any. If anything, that was mostly all her. But that was before T-Bone. He had nothing to worry about now.

Ruthie found that she wasn't even paying all that much attention to what played out on the screen. In reality, she'd seen everything they owned at least three times, making paying attention to it less and less important. She was close enough to hear Aaron emit the lightest snore, a gentle smile playing on her face as he breathed into her neck.

"This is good," she whispered. "I like this much better." Martin nodded over to her, not even sure when he had such a quiet and calm night like this one. Those seemed less and less frequent when he had to balance Aaron and Sandy under the same roof. He grimaced, even the thought of her name putting a bitter taste in his mouth. Look over at him; Martin had to wonder just how easy it was for her. He wouldn't miss her, no. She was hardly around anyway. He was sadder for Aaron than anything knowing even now what kind of questions might come up once he put two and two together.

The next moment was almost instantaneous. As the doorbell sounded, Aaron began to whimper and stir Ruthie couldn't help glaring at the door and whoever stood on the other side of it. This was not her definition of peace and quiet.

"You're half naked. I'll get it." The more Martin brought it up, the deeper she seemed to blush. She was more than thankful that this time, his back was turned so he wouldn't egg her on as he usually did, just to see how far he could get before she'd snap.

"Shh, Daddy will make them go away," she whispered. As a draft came through the door, she saw Martin's figure go stiff, already on the defensive. _Or not_ she sighed.

"Freaking wonderful," she mumbled. "Martin, step back," she sighed. T-Bone was already stepping around him; a none too pleased expression painting his face. "Don't." Stepping forward, his gaze was hard. "I'm not in the mood to watch you two go at it," she muttered. "What do you want?" His week of silence was already wearing on her without him there. The fact that he was standing over her, a judgmental comment or two already begging to come out wasn't helping his case at all.

"You're naked." Ruthie easily shrugged. "And what the hell is he doing here? And what's with the monkey on your neck? And the drool going down your boobs?"

"He's here 'cause I want him here," she said pointedly. "That's a baby. If you're going to talk, you might want to whisper so you knowd he doesn't wake up?" She readily ignored the rest of it, eyeing him impatiently. "What did you want T-Bone?"

"He looks pretty awake to me," he muttered. "Comfy too." Ruthie stared, a slight motion of her hand urging him to get to the point. "I forgot to bring back your history books after I borrowed them," he said. A ready lie and they all knew it. "Thought you might want them back, you know, before the weekend's up."

"Cut to the chase, kid," Martin said equally as short on patience.

"I can't pop in and see my girlfriend?" he laughed. "It's not like guys were…doing anything." The very idea that Ruthie would be doing _that _was almost the best joke he'd ever heard.

"We were," she said deadpanned. T-Bone glowered turning on his heel to face the other male. "Oh please," she grumbled pointing over at the frozen caption on the TV behind him. She barely held back a scoff when he visibly relaxed

"The Lion King?" he snorted. "I thought you were past that. Long past that…" Again, the Camden bobbed her shoulder. "Ruth, you've seen it at least a thousand times. You might as well be five."

"So? You've seen every episode of Myth Busters at least a million times. I don't see an age limit on the movie case, do you?" T-Bone just frowned shaking his head slowly. "I like it. Much better than watching people blow things up," she mumbled. "Don't you have somewhere to be?"

"No…I came by to see you. Got a couple of hours to kill before they need me at work," he said plopping down beside her, his arm fluidly coming over her shoulder. She grimaced, easily shrugging him off. "What? It's just my arm."

"He'll spook," she whispered, watching as Martin stood over them trying his hardest not to cross his arms in frustration.

"Martin looks fine," he said with a wave of his free hand. "He could be a good buddy though and get us some popcorn. Maybe find you a shirt," he said, his palms coming to rest at her arms. "Then he can join us." She wasn't even ready to waste her breath with correcting him.

"I'm fine," she mumbled.

"With half your clothes off? You'll freeze. Could you be a cool dude and get her something to wear? She's got like goose bumps and stuff already." Martin was actually moments from doing that himself but in no way was he going to be taking orders from this guy.

"It's my house, I can do what I want," she said quietly.

"Do your parents know you walk around like this? I'm sure your dad's got some kind of dress code or something. Nothing below the hips, nothing above the belly button?" He did but Eric wasn't exactly around at the moment and T-Bone was quickly grating on the few nerves she had left.

"If you're going to question everything and keep talking, you can show yourself out, T. I'm not in the mood for your mouth and the things that might come out of it." Almost as if taking invitation, T-Bone leaned forward, his lips lightly grazing hers. Ruthie didn't have to look over to know that Martin was ready to blow fire.

"How 'bout now?" he smirked. Ruthie easily shook her head sliding over to the opposite side of the couch.

"C'mon, you love that kind of thing," he said slowly closing the gap between them once more.

"Dude, do you know how to read?" Martin muttered. T-Bone looked up at him almost insulted. "Look at her. Does she look like she wants to be that close?"

"Don't tell me how to handle my girl."

"I'm not your 'girl'," she said rolling her eyes. T-Bone just laughed quietly, shaking his head.

"Well, you're definitely not his," he said off hand.

"Martin's got nothing to do with this. We were having a nice quiet night until you decided it necessary to drop off my nonexistent textbooks just as a reason to be up in my face. He's no threat to you." Martin frowned. Oh how he wished he was. Or at least the fact that he could act on his superiority. As it was he had to play Mr. Nice Guy and try not to kick this guy out the door. "So you either get what you came for or you can show yourself out."

"Don't you remember? We have that dinner date or whatever. For your birthday. Or…Had it. You kind of stood me up. Came over to see if you were okay, that you weren't sick or something." If she wasn't already so fed up with him and how this supposedly peaceful night was unraveling, she would have smiled at his concern.

"Well, I figured that was a done deal when you haven't called me in like a week. Didn't' want to be a brat and pester you about it. But thank you for remembering, coming to check on me. It's sweet. But I'm okay. Not sick or anything. Just tired. We had a long day. Early starts and stuff. Packing. Kind of just want to finish this and go to bed."

"Oh…Okay," he said trying not to look too disappointed.

"I'll call you tomorrow?" T-Bone nodded bringing a light kiss to her lips as he showed himself out the door. They waited for it to close before Ruthie tossed her head back. "Quiet as hell for a whole week and now he's worried."

"That's how it is sometimes, I guess. We're not too good at remembering stuff. We get busy but we don't forget. I'm going to go grab you a shirt."

"No. Just…Just stay," she whispered. Hearing the tone her voice had taken, he took his spot beside her and waited. He didn't even have to take three breaths before she sighed; the gateway to her oncoming frustration. "A week," she mumbled. "He says nothing for a week and then just shows up."

"People get busy, Ruthie." She nodded letting her eyes close. "He just came in to be an ass. If it was just me and Aaron, he'd be fine. But then he saw you and got defensive and territorial."

"Most guys do," he said. "It's fine. I would be too."

"I don't like it. He knows what you and I are and what we're about. The overcrowding was unnecessary."

"It's a guy thing," he said. "I'd be worried if a guy _didn't _do that around you. Annoying as it is, that's how it goes. I'm not offended or anything. He was just…"

"An ass." Martin smirked curling her hair around his finger.

"Most of us are," he admitted.

"Can we just finish this and go to bed? I'm not really in the mood to party anymore." He looked over at her quietly but nodded, her head now resting on the couch cushion for the rest of the movie. As he pressed play, Ruthie sighed. Exactly what she didn't want to see happen. Some kind of stupid (yet quiet on Martin's part—she'd have to thank him for that later) ownership thing, subtle as it was. She barely noticed the end credits begin to roll, her own eyes starting to fall closed, as hard as she tried to fight them.

"You wanna take him?" he whispered, letting her arm wrap around his neck, face buried in his night shirt as he took the three of them up the stairs.

"He's comfy," she nodded. "You can try though," she added with a subtle yawn. He let her settle against her own bed, equally as untouched as his, Aaron still cocooned against her. As gently as he possibly could, Martin unclentched his small and determined fists, a quiet grunt and whimper falling from his mouth. "Shh, it's just Daddy," she yawned, already talking with her eyes closed. "I'll see you in the morning."

"Night, Ruth," he whispered pressing a kiss to her cheek. All he got in reply was an almost identical grunt before she turned herself over. Martin easily unhook her bra from behind watching as it slipped off her shoulders, revealing breasts he was glad it was far too dark to see. He was careful and measuring with each step, sure not to disturb anything that might wake her as them both out of the room being slow with his own step to keep Aaron sleeping.

Even her own plans blew up in their faces. Martin knew then that he would have to find something to make it up to her, even if it killed him. Why he was so dead set on this, not even he was sure anymore. All he did know was that look on her face was one he wouldn't want to see again. Not if he could help it. The fact that T-Bone played a significant role in putting it there, intentional or not, didn't make it any less unsettling. He might have to ask her about that when they were both somewhat rested and more aware. He didn't know much about their relationship. In fact, the less he knew the better in most cases. But seeing as he had front row seats now, he'd be sure to keep an extra sharp eye on the kid.

Tomorrow's service would be all kinds of fun. Knowing T-Bone and his failed little attempt, he'd be making twice the show in church. Martin didn't know much about him but he was quickly learning that the guy was anything but subtle. Pulling a light blanket over him, he watched for a moment while Aaron slept. Simple was life inside that head. He had no concept of Sandy leaving, no idea what it might mean. All he seemed to get was that he wasn't alone and Martin couldn't help but figure that was the whole point. Sure he'd want to rip his hair out every time he had to see Ruthie with the guy but it was better than being alone in a house that for the moment, just upset him.

"I guess this is the kind of crap I get," he sighed shuffling over to his bed. "She deserves better though, you know? Some guy who's not going to do all the stuff that I did. Maybe someone who doesn't make a fool of himself just to prove a point. She's not like that. Sure she gets jealous and sometimes she's difficult but I'm willing to bet my next paycheck they won't last a month." He wasn't even sure who he was talking to anymore, or who he was trying to be a comfort to. Wishful thinking or some weird intuition he wasn't entirely sure. All he decided was the less he saw of that guy, the better.

* * *

**A/N: Not even sure who's into this story anymore but thank you so much to those who are. It really means so much that you've kept with me for this long. Please, don't be afraid to leave suggestions as well. I'm sure I can find a time and place to squeeze them in.**


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